Electric vaporizer



p 1949- s. DUBERSTEIN ELECTRIC VAPORIZER Filed April 11, 1946 INVENTOR (/ELIUBE/Ps TE/N Patented Apr. 19, ,1949

2,468,010 ELECTRIC VAPORIZER Samuel Duberstein,

Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Sundries Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application April 11, 1946, Serial-No. 661,245

7 7 Claims. I

This inventionrel'ates to electric Vaporizers having liquid spraying or dififusing means operated therefrom. Such devices are coming into common use not only as insecticides, but as medicinal aids for colds, croup, asthma and other respiratory troubles.

More particularly, my invention is an improvement in the type of electric vaporizer shown in the prior patent to applicant and Nicholas Lawner, No. 1,933,245, dated October 31, 1933. In this type of vaporizer the steam is generatedby heating thewater in a closed container by passing alternating current through the water between spaced electrodes. It is usual to make the container of an insulating material, such as glass, to avoidshock.

One'object of the present invention is to avoid injury to the user in case of breakage or explosion of the glass container, or in case the detachable top became damaged and blew ofi.

Another object of the present invention is to improve upon the combined filling plug and safety or relief valve employed in such vapora more sturdy construction and larger filling opening are secured and ready adjustment of the b'low-ofi pressure is secured.

A still further object is to so construct the insecticide or medicinal container that the liquid is heated materially during operation by extended contact or proximity with the metal housing or the water container.

Referring to the drawings disclosing a preferred form'of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved vaporizer;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in transverse section of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of my improved safety valve; and- Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 44 in Fig. 3.

the jar resting on a detachable bottom plate 3 of the outer housing 4, both the plate and housing being preferably made of metal or other side thereof, so that the water level may be observed.

Detachable top plate 6 is in use clamped between the top of the jar 2 and the underside of a circular inwardly projecting flange 1 on top of the housing In assembly, the top plate 6 is first inserted through the hole in the bottom of the housing, and the jar is also put in from the bottom until its top is brought against the rubber washer 8 extending around the edge of the top plate 6. Bottom plate 3 is then put in place and securely fastened by means such as set screws fl. Between the bottom of the jar and plate 3 there may be provided a resilient pad Id of rubber, felt or the like. The design is such that the top of the jar is held firmly against the washer on the top plate when the parts are in place, so that no steam canv escape.

By thus completely surrounding the glass jar by metal, the likelihood of injury to the user by breakage or explosion of the jar is greatly lessened. Also, the danger of blow-off of the top due to damaged threads, as is the case where the top is screwed on the jar as shown in the aforesaid patent, is practically eliminated.

On the top plate 6 are mounted the two prongs II, I through which current is introduced to the spaced electrodes I 2, 12' secured to the under side of said plate and by which current is led sion spring l6. owever, instead of securing adof the valve, I provide an extra threaded sleeve I! at the top of the device, which sleeve is slidably but nonrotatably mounted on the stem M, the stem being shown as having enlarged area with fiattened sides l8 near the top thereof. At its top there is secured to said stem a top piece 20 having a knurled flange 2|. The bottom of member 20 seats on a circular valve seat 40 on the top of boss 4| on plate 6. Normally the sleeve I7 is pressed against collar 46 within the cap by spring it.

When in use, the valve structure is screwed into place in the threaded filling opening IS in the top of the plate G-until the knurled top 20 is seated. Further turning of the member 20 will then screw the sleeve l'l downwardly into the opening, thus drawing it away from the collar 46, thus increasing the compression of the spring and increasing the blow-off pressure of the valve.

The opening or valve seat for my relief valve also furnishes a convenient means for filling the jar which is of ample area as compared to prior devices of this nature. My valve has the further advantage that the knurled top 2!! by which the valve is unscrewed does not contact the metal top except around its seat and hence becomes less hot and more easy to handle than the design of the aforesaid prior patent,

The steam is discharged from the jar through a metal spout 22 which may be screwed into the side of a boss 41 on cap 6 and which has a small bore 23 terminating in a nozzle 24. In operation, a jet of steam is projected by the nozzle past the tip of a pipe 25 which projects downwardly into the container 255 for the insecticide or medicament. Container 26 is shown as a metal jar, with a concave side wall 43 which fits closely the outside of the metal housing 4. This construction not only helps support the container, but to heat the liquid therein during operation. The metal container is shown as hung on the housin 4 by means of a bracket 21 having a vertical slot 28 therein which is slipped over a set screw 29 fixed on the side wall of container 4. The housing 4 is also shown as provided with a handle 36 of insulating material clamped between brackets 3| and 32 extending from frame 4. The handle may be made hollow to receive the insulated wire carrying current to the electric plug (not shown) which detachably engages the prongs H. g It will be understood that in operation the steam'jet discharged from nozzle 24 draws liquid up through pipe 25 by an aspirator action and discharges and diffuses it into the air as a mist with the steam. My vaporizer is very efiective as a treatment for respiratory diseases, as well as an insecticide.

Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many widely different embodi ments could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be inter preted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric vaporizer, a liquid container having an open top, and a closure or top plate therefor, an outer housing for said container having a detachable bottom plate and a top flange, means for clamping the bottom plate against the container to hold it tightly against its top plate and the flange of said housing, and a steam discharge nozzle also in said top plate.

2. In an electric vaporizer, a liquid container having an open top, an outer protective housing therefor substantially completely surrounding said container, said housing having a detachable bottom plate and a top plate having secured thereto a steam discharge nozzle and heating electrodes, whereby upon removing the bottom plate and jar the top plate and electrodes remain within the outer housing.

3. An electric vaporizer comprising a liquid receptacle having an open top, a closure or top plat therefor, an outer housing for said receptacle having an inwardly projecting flange at its top, and an open bottom through which said receptacle is thrust in assembling, a steam nozzle member on the outside of said plate, an electric heating unit suspended from the inside of said plate and adapted to project downwardly into said receptacle, said plate having terminals thereon which project through it for engagement with an electric plug, a detachable bottom plate or closure for said housing adapted to clamp said top plate and said receptacle against said flange, a second receptacle external said housing and a tube attached adjacent its upper end to said nozzle member with its lower end adapted to be submerged in the liquid in said second receptacle.

4. An electric vaporizer as claimed in claim 3 in which said second liquid receptacle is of metal and has a concave inner wall adapted to closely fit the outer housing,

5. In an electric: vaporizer or the like, a combined safety valve and filling plug comprising, a stem having a cap forming a valve closure adjacent the top thereof and an abutment below said top, a threaded sleeve slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said stem between said cap and abutment, and adapted to be screwed into a threaded opening in the vaporizer by turning said cap, said opening having a valve seat thereon engaged by said cap as the valve is screwed into place, and a compression spring on said stem between said abutment and said sleeve yieldably holding said cap on its valve seat.

6. In an electric vaporizer or the like, a combined safety valve and filling plug comprising a stem having a fixed abutment adjacent the bottom thereof and a cap forming a valve closure secured to the top thereof, a threaded sleeve slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said stem under said cap and adapted to be screwed into a threaded opening in the vaporizer by turning said cap, said opening having a valve seat thereon engaged by said cap as the valve is screwed into place.

'7. In an electric vaporizer, a liquid container of non-conducting relatively fragile material, and having an open top, an outer metallic housing therefor adapted to substantially completely enclose said container, said housing including an outwardly removable bottom plate adapted to fit against the outer periphery of a bottom flange around an opening in the bottom of the housing, and a top plate which may be removed only through the open bottom of said container and which is adapted to fit against the inner periphery of a top flange around an opening in the top of the housing, and means for detachably securing the bottom plate to the bottom of the housing thereby pressing the top of the jar against the top plate, and the top plate against said top flange, and a steam discharge outlet in said top plate.

SAMUEL DUBERSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,931,662 Lamburtus et al. Oct. 24, 1933 1,933,245 Duberstein et al. Oct. 31, 1933 1,981,765 Weiss Nov. 20, 1934 2,076,709 Deutsch Apr. 13, 1937 2,259,546 Black Oct. 21, .1941 

